Its been a long while since I last made an entry here. No excuses.... :-)
I have started a youtube channel called TOURISM TALK which is primarily addressed to the growing number of tourism and hospitality students and local government units that are looking into tourism as a way out of poverty of their people.
We have to put in our minds and hearts that tourism is like a powerful weapon of development or mass destruction. Unfortunately, not many have enough technical knowledge on how to create and ensure a sustainable form of tourism. This is beyond motherhood statements, guys. I really recommend you listen to the entire video to make you a more effective sustainable tourism advocate in your area. Just forgive the super low, bedroom voice and pump up your volume to the max.
Showing posts with label Ecotourism. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Ecotourism. Show all posts
Mangrove Planting
You may wonder why the participants are scattered like there is no order in planting the mangroves. The activity was more of a replacement for the mangrove seedlings that died due to debris and seaweed smothering. What usually happens is that seaweeds and debris (plastic!) would cling on the fragile seedling which eventually break and kill it. Its not really that easy to help the environment!
Also did some photoshop experiments.
Birds, Birdwatching and Ecotourism
It is becoming almost unthinkable that you would encounter a wild animal up close in the Philippines. They either get shot for food or collected as trophies or dispensable pets.
A sea eagle that was soaring less than 30 feet from me should remind me how lucky I was to experience the moment. For I don't know if I would get another chance in my lifetime.
You see, birdwatching should be a major ecotourism activity in the Philippines. We have more than 600 different species flying in our territory. And about 200 of them are found nowhere else in the world. Some are so rare that they live only on small islands and forests.
But we hardly value our wildlife. Not for ecotourism, nor the more abstract thing called biodiversity conservation. Their babies get collected, smuggled and sold as pets. Only 5% of the illegally traded birds usually survive. The rest die along the trade trail. We burn their habitats or cut down their nesting trees. We pour concrete on even the last remaining territories of birds. Just look at the plan of the government to destroy the bird sanctuary in Manila Bay (Las Pinas and Paranaque area) to give way for more reclamation.
I have to admit, that on a national scale, ecotourism is a lame excuse to save the remaining bird species in the Philippines or even for the people or the government to earn revenues for them. The money to be earned from birdwatching may not be enough to cover the profits of cutting down the trees, selling the baby birds, or building skyscrapers on their habitats.
But there are success stories of former hunters finally becoming advocates of conservation, of children convincing their parents to love the environment, of communities coming to terms that in order to survive, they have to live to the terms of their environments.
How I wish that a hundred, nay a thousand or even a hundred thousand Filipinos would declare that they have seen wildlife up close..... And yes, even personal.
Rainforest Park
Let's clear this out first. This is not in the Philippines. This Rainforest Park is located in Sandakan in the island of Borneo, Malaysia.
This place is something that should inspire the Philippines in developing and effectively managing a natural area both for conservation and recreation. It does not take huge development and introduction of artificial landscaping to optimize its tourism value. All it takes is to maintain its real natural features (which eventually also equates to socio-economic value). Appropriately zone the built-up area and tourist movement (trails, hanging bridges, birding towers), and make sure that any activity that goes against the tenets of conservation are not even considered in a special place like this.
Come to think of it.... See the tall tree in the middle? For a logger, that could be worth Php90,000 ($2,000). For a slash and burn farmer, a good source of fertilizer, and for a charcoal maker, maybe about Php2,000 ($45).... all at one and only time. But for tourism, its value goes beyond a single harvest and can have both recreation and environmental (remember the oxygen lessons in your elementary school days?) worth that could last as long as the tree lives through its natural age.
There really should come a time when we consider nature NOT as something to be conveniently harvested or abused, but a valuable resource to be nurtured (and the reality is - for our own sake).
The Philippines also has some great examples we can showcase. But just wait till I get good photos before I talk about them :D
So, You Want to be an Ecoguide?
So, you want to be a good nature guide? Then always keep your eyes open for the tiniest bit that nature can show you. Have a good pair of binoculars, a magnifying glass, and sharp eyes to pinpoint interesting things you see on the trail. Like these tiny snails that create art on the mud. If you're up to it, you can tell stories about snails that will last through one hour. Read. Read on things. Absorb and understand them to effectively share them. Goodluck to PEGA (Philippine Eco Guides Association) members!
Birdwatching in Sagada
For those who have been to the rustic town of Sagada in the northern part of the Philippines (Mountain Province), many would agree that it is a frontier destination. With cool climate, really dramatic mountain views, impressive and adventure-filled caves, and a proud Cordillera culture, Sagada has become an ultimate destination for many travellers seeking an adventure experience only a place like this could offer.
Then here comes birdwatching! In only one day, a birder could be gifted with a chance to spot a good number of endemic species.
Here's the complete blog and photos of the birds I saw in Sagada -
http://www.mytravelphilippines.com/blog/2010/10/16/birdwatching-in-sagada/
Pedada Mangroves - An Artists' Delight
Honestly, i had grave misgivings about this place one day before I visited the mangrove forest in Brgy. Pedada in the town of Ajuy in Ilo-ilo. There were no facilities yet, except for a boardwalk that was in the initial stage of construction by the local people's organization (with technical assistance and funding from the Zoological Society of London and the local government unit). There were still rough portions of the road leading to the site, and the community was simply not yet ready to accommodate tourists (which was my role in the first place - to help them in this community-based tourism initiative).
On the night before our trip to the site (and in the middle of a power interruption which added to dampening my spirit, I was ready for a major dissapointment.
But I was greeted by a nice surprise (this part is getting to be predictable in my many posts! ha ha!..).
Yup, the centuries-old mangrove forest is not for the usual tourists (but hey, couple this with the islands, beaches and reef areas, then the story will be a lot different!).
The Pedada Mangrove is for the artists and photographers. And it is also for the students of nature. You have to be there to absorb its visual treat. And you have to be armed with a canvass or a camera to prove your presence.
It will take some more months before the Pedada Mangrove forest would be able to accommodate visitors. At present, the local community is happy allowing students, artists and photographers to the site. More will have to be done to develop tourist attractions and facilities for the typical tourist to enjoy the area.
The town of Ajuy is about two hours from Ilo-ilo City and Pedada (which is located 15 kilometers before the town proper) is about three kilometers from the main road.
Birdwatching in the Philippines Volume 1
These are the selected pages of the book published by the Department of Tourism which I was very lucky to be part of as the writer of the material. This is one advocacy that is very close to my heart. By promoting birdwatching, the Philippines will not only benefit from tourism, but nature also will be given the chance to be protected and appreciated by the locals through the more environment-friendly activity of watching birds (instead of shooting or using slingshots on them!).
This book is a product of collaboration of the Department of Tourism (through its marketing arm, the Philippine Convention and Visitors Corporation), R.O.X., and the Wild Bird Club of the Philippines.
I have to thank the Philippine Convention and Visitors Bureau for allowing me to publish these pages in my blog. Please note that I don't have any copyright thing on all the photos (they are in low-res jpegs, anyways...). You may have to contact the PCVC or the photographers if you want to have a good copy of the bird photos.
This goes on until 14 entries.
Stay tuned for Volume 2! Yes, its already published.....
This book is a product of collaboration of the Department of Tourism (through its marketing arm, the Philippine Convention and Visitors Corporation), R.O.X., and the Wild Bird Club of the Philippines.
I have to thank the Philippine Convention and Visitors Bureau for allowing me to publish these pages in my blog. Please note that I don't have any copyright thing on all the photos (they are in low-res jpegs, anyways...). You may have to contact the PCVC or the photographers if you want to have a good copy of the bird photos.
This goes on until 14 entries.
Stay tuned for Volume 2! Yes, its already published.....
Birdwatching in the Philippines Volume 1 - Puerto Princesa Subterranean River National Park, Palawan
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